TV woes

[Migalot]

I have a BT box and when I stopped BT (as I have a fast FTTP provided by a Swedish company), they assured me that I could still use their box for NOW TV, though which App, my daughter and I can watch F1.

Yesterday, I switched on my Samsung 48" TV and the BT box. I scrolled through to the NOW TV App and selected the F1. Up comes the message "Sorry, but you cannot watch this content in your country". WTF? I am signed in OK on the App.

I go on my PC and watch the content. My daughter can watch on her phone. My house has CAT6 ethernet throughout. The odd thing is that my PC has a different ISP to the TV (obtained automatically and refreshed just now).

Can anyone figure out what's going on?   

[TheBoy]

Your PC has a different ISP? So you have 2 ISPs?

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Use a lead from the laptop to the telly, or use Wiziwig.
Having said that, its too much effort to watch  F1, which gave up any pretence of being a sport in Abu Dhabi 2021. 

[Migalot]

Your PC has a different ISP? So you have 2 ISPs?

Whoops!
My VPN was going in the background.
Will re-check.

[Migalot]

Stranger and stranger. VPN off on PC.

My IP provider is shown as Internet Bolaget Sverige and the location is shown as London, UK.

Try NOW TV and I get "Sorry, NOW TV content cannot currently be viewed in this country. For more info, check out nowtv.com/roaming."

Turn VPN on again and it works.

With VPN on, it shows a new ISP number and provider (Stumpner Netservice UG (haftungsbeschraenkt), London, UK)

TV does not have VPN and just doesn't work on NOW.

[Varche]

Sounds like a normal day for an expat trying to watch TV from back home!

[Migalot]

Sounds like a normal day for an expat trying to watch TV from back home!

...and I can't even use a VPN on my TV. If it was android-based it would be easy, but I have a Samsung with its own Tizen-based OS. 

[TheBoy]

Right, because you keep using all this pointless shite, you are always going to have hassle.

So, you actually only have one ISP?  Have you enabled any content filtering via your ISP, as it may block some streaming.


Most streaming services are blocking VPNs, both for obvious reasons around geolocation, but also due to security and performance issues.  BBC keep talking about doing similar, but are too scared to piss that many people off in one go.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Right, because you keep using all this pointless shite, you are always going to have hassle.

So, you actually only have one ISP?  Have you enabled any content filtering via your ISP, as it may block some streaming.


Most streaming services are blocking VPNs, both for obvious reasons around geolocation, but also due to security and performance issues.  BBC keep talking about doing similar, but are too scared to piss that many people off in one go.

I thought that the whole point of a VPN is that nobody knows you are using one?   

Or is just that some are better than others? 

[Migalot]

Right, because you keep using all this pointless shite, you are always going to have hassle.

So, you actually only have one ISP?  Have you enabled any content filtering via your ISP, as it may block some streaming.


Most streaming services are blocking VPNs, both for obvious reasons around geolocation, but also due to security and performance issues.  BBC keep talking about doing similar, but are too scared to piss that many people off in one go.

No, no content filtering. Fact remains that the VPN German-owned ISP in London enables NOW streaming, but the standard non-VPN Swedish one doesn't! Will need to speak to Optyx whose bills I pay.

Would be quite happy be blocked by the BBC. It's utter shite these days.

[Doctor Gollum]

Right, because you keep using all this pointless shite, you are always going to have hassle.

So, you actually only have one ISP?  Have you enabled any content filtering via your ISP, as it may block some streaming.


Most streaming services are blocking VPNs, both for obvious reasons around geolocation, but also due to security and performance issues.  BBC keep talking about doing similar, but are too scared to piss that many people off in one go.

I thought that the whole point of a VPN is that nobody knows you are using one?   

Or is just that some are better than others? 

A girl I trained with suggested using a Chinesey VPN for the Far East.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why this would be a particularly stupid idea

[TheBoy]

I thought that the whole point of a VPN is that nobody knows you are using one?   

Nope, everyone knows you are using a VPN.  But that is the least of your security worries if you are stupid enough to do so

[TheBoy]

No, no content filtering. Fact remains that the VPN German-owned ISP in London enables NOW streaming, but the standard non-VPN Swedish one doesn't! Will need to speak to Optyx whose bills I pay.

So you are currently in Sweden? It could be NOW are geoblocking Sweden, as maybe they don't feel a service there.  Unlikely though, as any paying customer is usually good enough for Uncle R.

[Viral_Jim]

A girl I trained with suggested using a Chinesey VPN for the Far East.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why this would be a particularly stupid idea

TBH I think it depends, if you're worried about security, I suspect the Chinese will know all they want to know about your digital life, whether you use a VPN or not. Likewise, as TB eluded to, using any VPN is probably giving away more data than you would like, to whichever unknown provider runs the service.

When I worked for GKN, our driveline business had a joint venture in China, and our aerospace business did a lot of work with the US military & civil aviation OEMs & Tier 1 suppliers. The first few times we visited from the UK our laptops and phones would be taken from us on entry for security checking and then handed back after a couple of hours of waiting.

Once they worked out we were travelling with clean laptops (with only information on them relating to the JV) we were suddenly subject to many fewer 'random' security checks. Either that or they'd planted all the spyware they needed to plant so didn't need our kit any more 

[Mr Skrunts]

if you're worried about security, I suspect the Chinese will know all they want to know about your digital life

Dont they all

Lets face it, Google, Amazon, Ebay etc all do.

Google even puts adverts into your browsing of things you have been chatting about on the phone or from your text messages.

Big Brother is Watching you
Your Life is Not Your Own Any more

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